The O is Okay!

Steve Summers

09/12/2011

A video on Foxsports.com created some anxious moments for Duck fans on Sunday when Pac-12 Officials consultant Mike Pereira said that hand signals flashed by Oregon players after touchdowns constituted taunting. Pereira indicated in the video he would call Oregon Head Coach Chip Kelly and inform the Ducks that the jesters, hmm, gestures are penalties. Today though, Pereira thinks the O is okay.

In the video, Pereira said that pointing upward to give praise to God or saluting to honor America is permissible under NCAA guidelines but to gesture such as Oregon players do when flashing the O is not.

In a twitter message today, Pereira indicated that after consultations, it has been determined that what the Ducks do in celebrating touchdowns is not taunting.

"The "O" the Ducks flash is OK," wrote Pereira on Twitter. "Talked to others and as long as it is not prolonged or directed at an opponent, it's ok."

Duck fans on eDuck may have expressed their satisfaction by flashing the O instead of what many indicated what they flashed yesterday after seeing the video.